November 27, 2024 • 18 mins
The voice of the San Antonio Spurs, Bill Schoening, joins the show to discuss the latest storylines from the NBA season including the Spurs' win streak, Wembenyama's offensive development, and their matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. Craig and Bill then share stories from their time broadcasting the Lone Star Showdown as Texas prepares for the Aggies.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good friend, longtime friend and for several years broadcast partner
Bill Shone, the voice of the San Antonio Spurs.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Who joins And.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Now you've got a game to night. So do you
get Thanksgiving and home tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yes? Yes. The NBA never plays on Thanksgiving or Election.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Day, no matter.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I just did one seriously, or Christmas Eve.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
I do a thing called Spurs Flashback, which is like
this date and Spurs history.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, and on on December twenty fourth.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
It's always a problem because there's never a game that day.
So there's a former Spurs player that was born on
Christmas Eve named Paul Pressey. You probably remember from Paul
Pressy played at Tulsa and I was a longtime assistant
in the NBA. Really one of the first point forwards
in the NBA. Anyway, he was born on December twenty fourth,
So for the longest time, my Spurs flashback was born
(00:48):
on this day, Paul.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Pressey, who played for the Spurs. There was no games
to call on December twenty fourth.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
On December twenty fourth, two thousand and nine, I was
on a plane with the Spurs. We were on our
way to LA to play the Lakers on Christmas Day.
I mean that would probably because you do. You've had
a lot of Christmas Day calls I know that.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Yeah, yeah, not lately, to be honest with you. Last
one of LaMarcus Aldridge was the start. The last time
we had a Christmas Day game, that was back in sixteen,
so it's been a minute.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yeah, okay, So last night, nice trip to Salt Lake
in the win over of the Jazz. Hey, is there
a lot of Utah Hockey Club merch on sale there
at the Delta Center.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
And as you know, Craig, my son Eric is a
meteorologist and has been for the National Weather Service in
Salt Lake City, and he's gone to several games and
he really loves it. So and the cool thing is
our hockey broadcast is located at the same area where
the basketball broadcast is.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's really good for hockey.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Not so much for basketball, a little high up for basketball,
but for hockey's.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
As they would say, the hockey box, right, Yeah, for
hockey box. And our good friend and former colleague working
with me and she also worked at Kai.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Sarah Mirrifield fall in their telecast does.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Nice, yeah, very good and thorough. Bailey of course, an
NC State guy. I know you're more a Carolina tarhell fan,
but Thurtle' is a great guy and he's their color
analyst on TV.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah, I remember thorough vividly from the Jim Valvano Cardiac
pat team in nineteen eighty three. And that's a great
thirty for thirty or thorough by the way, since.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
We're spaking about North Carolina, Danny Green pinch hit for
Shawn Elliott on the telecast last night. And of course
Danny and O nine champion with the Tar Heels and
a three time NBA champion, and of.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Course played for the Spurs for seven years.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
And he's going to be very successful Craig in the business,
very smart, very funny, and uh you know, he's got
a lot of connections.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Danny's going to do very well in the business.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, I totally agree that dude star is on the rise.
When I heard he was retiring, I thought, oh, TV
is going to be his deal, because he's just good.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yeah. He was my free game guest last night.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
It was never a problem, and he in fact, he
thanked me for all the pre game and postgame interviews
I did with him, saying that it prepped him for
this opportunity.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
But he's just a natural. He'll he'll be fine.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
All right. So what's your take right now?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
We talked a few weeks back before the start of
the season, but how about your take on this Spurs
team ten and eight right now to win five away
and back home the night against the Lakers. They're continuing
to grow and chose some things well.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
The important thing I think is the knowledge that veterans bring.
Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul have really made a lot
of difference, and they know how to win now in
the fourth quarter because Chris Paul's been doing it for
twenty years. Harrison Barnes, believe it or not, with the
NBA Player of the Week this week, the first time
he's gotten that award, the longest tenured player to ever
win that award for the first time thirteen years in
But are real good. He's just been a Spur his
(03:38):
whole career, even though he hasn't been on the Spurs.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
He says, that kind of guy.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
I've always loved Harrison Barnes, a great guy to go
interview and chat it up with, and I'm really happy
that he's part of the team and the experience that
those guys bring and the professionalism that they bring.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I think it can't be understated because these.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Young guys learn how to win, learn how to be
pros when they're around people like that.
Speaker 5 (03:59):
Bill, what have you mean of Webbinama's second season and
specifically how he's grown offensively.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Yeah, you know, he's really shooting the three a lot
more on it. Early he wasn't hitting them very often.
In fact that he's been twenty two percent for a
while and people are like, wait a minute, why is
he out there shooting threes? Well, it's all part of
his package. He wants to be a perimeter player as
well as an inside player. You know, we've never seen
a player quite like this. But now he's really getting
the rhythm. Now he's really hitting the threes on a
regular basis, and he's piling up the points.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
He had thirty four points last night.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
And I think the fact that he's a threat out there,
a guy like Walker Kessler, who's really more of an
inside defender, really not comfortable going out there and guarding
a seven foot four guy on the perimeter. So I
think that he does a lot of things that are
very different. And we're going to continue to see him
evolve as a player. Remember he is only early in
his second season. Last night he had his fourteenth thirty
(04:48):
point game, if you could imagine that. So he's doing
some things early in his career that he's really building upon.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
And I think he's really benefiting.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
From the presence of Chris Paul because CP three, as
I mentioned, how to win the games in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
That was a problem for the Spurs.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
They are very competitive over the last couple of years,
but they weren't closing out games in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
But when you have a presence like.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Chris Paul and also Harrison Barnes, it's much easier to
win because those guys have been there.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Four game winning streak, I think it's the longest since
twenty twenty twenty one for the Spurs. And during this
four game win streak, you beat in Oklahoma City Thunder
at home in which Wenby did not play, and then
to win over the Warriors to the top teams in
the Western Conference too, of the best teams in the
Western Conference. What have you made of this four game
win streak.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
I think the Warriors win showed that they've really improved defensively,
this Stephan Castle kid was all over Steph Curry in
that game.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
In fact, my Marque matchup.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Going to the game with Steph versus Steph, I'm thinking, well,
this is going to be a baptism by fire for Castle.
Steph Curry went five for sixteen that night.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Guys. Now that's not to say.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
That every time Steph Castle goes up Againsteph Curry, that's
going to be the result. But for the first time
to go up against him and really be in a
competitive situation, the Spurs held the Warriors to thirteen points
in the fourth quarter of that ball game, which was
a tight game, and they pulled away late. So I
think that they take this step forward. Defensively. They're now
in the top five both field goal percentage defensive points allowed.
They were in the bottom third of the league in
(06:09):
those categories last year, so they certainly have taken a
step forward. And a lot of this is without one
of their best defenders and Jeremy Sohan, who's been out
with a broken thumb.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
All right, you knew this question was going to come Bill.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
On her text line, somebody asked, please ask Bill how
he feels about the work so far in the development
of I'm going to attempt his name. Sandrew is at
Mamu Kellashavili.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Craig, you're so good at things, it's really easy. It's
a mamu Keli Shpeeley.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
He's a player from the Republic of Georgia. He played
a seat in Hall. He played all four years of
seat in the Hall. So he's kind of a season
Guy's twenty four to twenty five years old now. But
he's a very fun player to cover because he's like
a guy who never stops offensively here just all over
the place, moves very well without the ball, he shoots
the ball well. He's not a great defensive player, but
(06:57):
he's earning his minutes because of what he can do offensively.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
He's a real energy guy. I think Webby really.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Likes playing with him because he just opens up the
floor with Wenby because he takes up so much space
by moving around so much. But he's a ball of
energy and in spurs he really helps this team.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
What's your take on this Lakers team?
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I saw like Kevin Durant returned last night, had a
KD like game, and they you know, and they kind
of pushed in the in the second half and pulled
away from the Lakers. Now you got the Lakers coming
in tonight. They're such a curiosity other than Lebron in
looking at this team, aren't they.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
The thing that really concerns me if I'm a Lakers
fan is overall depth, you know, because Anthony Davis, as
great as he has, he's had some health problems. Lebron,
of course, just is NonStop and he's still playing well
over thirty minutes a game, and that concerns me, even
in his age, you know, and even though he's in
great shape, I just don't love to see a lot
of heavy minutes by guys at that age.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
So the lack of depth that they.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Go overall would concern me as far as the Lakers
chances to get to the finals.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
All right, So Bill showing the voice of the Spurs
have been with us, We talked some Spurs. I'm gonna
set that aside. Now you and I are going to
share some memories here because we did ten football and
nine basketball seasons together, and we did our share of
Thanksgiving and Black Friday games. Now, first of all, from
(08:15):
the Black Friday perspective, there's obviously the Ricky Williams game,
and we had Ricky on. Ricky actually came out to
Pluckers a couple of weeks ago. Yeah, yeah, he was
in town partially from this documentary and again for folks
if they go to the Longwer Network ap it premiered today,
this return of the Rivalry Rivalry Are Restored, I think
(08:39):
it's called, and they interviewed a lot of us. But
but Ricky's got some great stuff in there and talking
about that game, and there's great stuff with Mac Brown
talking about that game and Ricky was talking about.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So I know, we went into that game.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
It was kind of what in the honeymoon period for
Mac there that first season in ninety eight, and we
into that thinking, hey, he's got a chance sixty two
yards away right there. We just think he would get
it on the you know, most of it on that
one carry that got him over the top.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Well that was a really good Aggie defense too, right,
But yeah, win And I don't know, I guess maybe
that was the latter stage of the Wrecking Crew.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
I guess the rerecord cru is actually kind of earlier
than that.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
But that was a very good, very good A and
M defense that the Ricky ran through. But you know,
that was common that you remember the game at Nebraska, Craig,
Nebraska at home had not given up one hundred yards
to a single back since Barry Sanders, I believe an
Oklahoma State ten year earlier. So you know, Ricky had
those kinds of games against great defenses, and I think
one of the things that gets lost to and Ricky
(09:37):
was a great player. But those guys up front, that
offensive line, they were so much fun to cover. They
were so smart, you know, guys like Octavius Bishop and
Dan Neil, John Elmore, James Adams. That's a really good
offensive line.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Okay, so correct me if I'm misremembering
this year before ninety seve and it turns out to
be John mcovic's final game.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
We go over the night before.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
We were staying at the fashionable holiday Ramata inn uh,
the infamous one in ninety nine where the team stayed
where there was no breakfast for him and the wake
up calls went all night long.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
But that's another four season in college Station, Craig.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
No, no, no, no, that's true.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And weren't we eating like it a Bennigans with our
producer the late Bill Harwell and Greg Klingin's been We
had our broadcast crew with us, and yeah, Narlene mcavig
walked in with the other coaches wives, and I looked
over and I can't believe I actually let it come
out of my mouth, and I said, look.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
At that the last supper and and and it happened.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
But what I was going to say was the next
day we had the game, and we had the parabolic
mic down there, and uh and then and and going
over there. I believe John and Danny was on the
side when we might have had Lauren samplein back from
is overseas recruiting trips by then. And it walks out
(11:04):
there to midfield and they flipped the coin and the
Aggies win the toss, and whoever the y Aggie captain
was said, we'll defer. And if I remember correctly, clear
as day on our microphones, was James Barron going defer.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Is that the best you can do? I remember that correctly, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Yeah, I remember that. You know, it's so many things
you remember about the rivalry, And of course I remember
a lot about the bonfire. You know, it's hard to
believe that they just had with the twenty fifth anniversary
of it, right, Yeah, I remember. It's weird the things
you remember about certain things. But I remember several Aggie
fans coming up to me saying that they'd never feel
the same way about Texas because of the love and
(11:49):
the compassion that Mac Brown and the Longhorn showed to
the Aggies during that very dark period of time back
in ninety nine. So I'll always remember that. I also
remember too, And this is the weird the music part
of me. Doug Somealm from the Texas Tornadoes we I
thinks were one of the great Texas music heroes, died
right around.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
That same time, like maybe the next.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
Day, And because of all the attention being paid the
Aggie bonfire, I really kind of feel like Doug Salm's death.
He died of a heart attack in Santa Fe while
he was out on the road. It just kind of
gets swept under the rug, you know. So the music
part of me likes, oh man, it's a shame that
Doug Somem didn't get more love when he passed, with.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
No doubt about that, all right.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
So it helped me out on this one now because
on our text line that what I offered up to
cowboy fans or people just remember. And I said, let
me let me know your most vivid Dallas Cowboys memory.
And somebody said, my most vivid Cowboys Thanksgiving memory. And
(12:51):
that's what I'm talking about, your most vivid Cowboys Thanksgiving memory.
Nineteen ninety three in the snow, leon Lett, I remember
that game because of snow and Dallas Major ice, torm
and Austin. That Thanksgiving one of the coldest Thanksgivings I
ever experienced. That was from NCB.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Were we in college station.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
We were, and I, you know, the first five years
when I worked with you, I've commuted for all the
football and men's basketball games. I was still working at
KRLD in Dallas. So I drive down there and you know,
kind of the icy, slippery sliding around the traffic circle
in Mahea on the way down there. And and if
(13:27):
I remember correctly that this was a ballgame that was
fifteen to nine A and M in the fourth quarter.
A and M, whoever won, was going to go to
the Cop Bowl. The long words were five, four and
one going into the game, and the Aggies were like
nine and one or something, and A and M was
(13:48):
up fifteen to nine, and they were punting pretty late
in the game, and it wasn't Shane Leckler, but I
can't remember who the punter was. But he got the
he got it was a bad snap, but he picked
it up in plenty of time and then he just
kind of froze. He didn't do anything, and then he
got he got crushed by long run. He gave him
good field position and actually sat on the air and
I said, I don't understand it. You know, you called
(14:09):
the plane. I said, I don't understand it. I mean,
he had plenty of time and the only thing I
can come up with is he's an aggie or something
like that. And I gotta, I gotta. I got some
emails about that.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
But yeah, but we weren't doing the talk show at
the time, were we.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Uh No, No, I was still in doubts.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
That I was.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
And there are some aggies in Austin that were calling
me on my talk show and complaining about you.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I want you to know that I took some bullets
for you, Craig.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Oh, well, it's it's worked both ways. Say that.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
But and that was the game that went down into
the final minutes and Shaye Moren's on the rollout had
a guy open and thrown and got intercepted in the end.
So and the Baggies end up winning I think eighteen
to nine. They tacked on the field goal. Yeah yeah, exactly,
all right. And then the next year, ninety four was
and it was thirty years ago, John mcvick saying we
will not kick off to Leland McElroy. They kicked off
(15:04):
to Leland McElroy and he brought it back for a touchdown.
He's still going, yeah yeah, but but but.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
He's like, he's he'sn Caldwell. Now he's still running.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
That's tried. He's still run.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
And then then and then the one other one that
comes to minds the very next year was nineteen ninety five.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Now that was not Thanksgiving. It moved to him.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
It was that final game in Southwest Conference history, Texas
and Texas A and M and the long sixteen.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
To six very good.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
You remember that, you remember and and James Brown had
a badly sprained ankle and Ricky went for like one
sixty five in that game.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
We were talking movie staking Craig correct me, but was
that not the last game on the turf and they
were gonna put grass in?
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Or was it last game on the grass? They're gonna
put turf.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
No, no, no, you had it right the first time.
It was on the carpet, and and and so it
was over and they we're going to tear it up. Well,
log worn fans and cheerleaders run onto the field celebration
and the Aggie Corps got really upset with it. They
didn't draw swords like they did on the SMU Cheerleader
back in eighty, but they was like, so we could
see it from up top. There were some punching of
(16:08):
some guys and grabbing girls by the hair and it
was just crazy. And then security came in and tried
to break it up, and the core guys were still
doing that, and I think I referred to it as
paramilitarism run amuck.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
On that deal.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
But the point is, the point about all of this
is that this rivalry, which is being renewed on Saturday
night in college station, you got a chance to experience it,
even from the other side one season as an Aggie
baseball broadcaster, so you know how they feel about all this.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Oh absolutely, And there was a real break for me
to do Aggie baseball.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
I was doing Samuston State and I got a chance
to go over and do the Aggies and that's when
they had a great team in eighty nine with Chuck
Knoblock and John Byington and those guys. So I got
to see that and I actually applied for the AGGI
play by play job and didn't get it, and Craig
it was a blessing, it really was, because I ended
up in Austin a couple months later at KOBJ and
of course that started my time with Long Warns.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
And of course you came in.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
So you know, sometimes when you really wish for something
and it doesn't work out, it works out better. And
that's exactly what happened with me. No offense to any
of my A and M's friends or college station friends,
but you know it could have worked out better for
me as they ended up in Austin.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Yeah, you know, And I've learned lessons over the years
and have lots of friends over in the Brass Valley,
and so I've learned to appreciate their passion for the
rivalry and everything as well.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
So I in fact, Andrew Monico, Yeah, because you know
the radio guy now who's got that job at twenty eighteen,
used to work for the Spurs. We worked together for
a number of years and really a really good guy.
And I'm really happy he's in that position because he's
perfect for that job. He's a real loyal, passionate guy,
good play by play guy, and a perfect fit for them.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Yeah, I had him on the show on Monday, and
he's yesterday. He's out in Vegas, and so we had
a lot of fun talking about all that. Hey, it's
always good to visit with you. I'm glad you get
to have Thanksgiving and home with Jerry and Carl. And
best wishes also to Eric Out and salt Lake, and
I know we'll catch up again on down the road.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
I appreciate you taking it for you, Dave, you and Crag.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
I've been trying to get you and Linda to dinner,
but it's impossible with our schedules. It will happen. One day,
it'll happen.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
It will definitely happen. Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Appreciate you got it. That's Bill Schoning, this first play
by play voice. And until we did a lot of
games together, football and men's basketball. There are stories we
could tell, so many other stories, and then there's some
stories we can't tell. Probably good idea that we don't
it sound like a podcast is needed. Yes, Storytime, We've
(18:36):
talked about that at time or two. Maybe all Right
Up Next is inconceivable for Thanksgiving on sports Radio AM
thirteen Under the Zone.
Good friend, longtime friend and for several years broadcast partner
Bill Shone, the voice of the San Antonio Spurs.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Who joins And.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Now you've got a game to night. So do you
get Thanksgiving and home tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yes? Yes. The NBA never plays on Thanksgiving or Election.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Day, no matter.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I just did one seriously, or Christmas Eve.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
I do a thing called Spurs Flashback, which is like
this date and Spurs history.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, and on on December twenty fourth.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
It's always a problem because there's never a game that day.
So there's a former Spurs player that was born on
Christmas Eve named Paul Pressey. You probably remember from Paul
Pressy played at Tulsa and I was a longtime assistant
in the NBA. Really one of the first point forwards
in the NBA. Anyway, he was born on December twenty fourth,
So for the longest time, my Spurs flashback was born
(00:48):
on this day, Paul.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Pressey, who played for the Spurs. There was no games
to call on December twenty fourth.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
On December twenty fourth, two thousand and nine, I was
on a plane with the Spurs. We were on our
way to LA to play the Lakers on Christmas Day.
I mean that would probably because you do. You've had
a lot of Christmas Day calls I know that.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Yeah, yeah, not lately, to be honest with you. Last
one of LaMarcus Aldridge was the start. The last time
we had a Christmas Day game, that was back in sixteen,
so it's been a minute.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yeah, okay, So last night, nice trip to Salt Lake
in the win over of the Jazz. Hey, is there
a lot of Utah Hockey Club merch on sale there
at the Delta Center.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
And as you know, Craig, my son Eric is a
meteorologist and has been for the National Weather Service in
Salt Lake City, and he's gone to several games and
he really loves it. So and the cool thing is
our hockey broadcast is located at the same area where
the basketball broadcast is.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's really good for hockey.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Not so much for basketball, a little high up for basketball,
but for hockey's.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
As they would say, the hockey box, right, Yeah, for
hockey box. And our good friend and former colleague working
with me and she also worked at Kai.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Sarah Mirrifield fall in their telecast does.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Nice, yeah, very good and thorough. Bailey of course, an
NC State guy. I know you're more a Carolina tarhell fan,
but Thurtle' is a great guy and he's their color
analyst on TV.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah, I remember thorough vividly from the Jim Valvano Cardiac
pat team in nineteen eighty three. And that's a great
thirty for thirty or thorough by the way, since.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
We're spaking about North Carolina, Danny Green pinch hit for
Shawn Elliott on the telecast last night. And of course
Danny and O nine champion with the Tar Heels and
a three time NBA champion, and of.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Course played for the Spurs for seven years.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
And he's going to be very successful Craig in the business,
very smart, very funny, and uh you know, he's got
a lot of connections.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Danny's going to do very well in the business.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, I totally agree that dude star is on the rise.
When I heard he was retiring, I thought, oh, TV
is going to be his deal, because he's just good.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yeah. He was my free game guest last night.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
It was never a problem, and he in fact, he
thanked me for all the pre game and postgame interviews
I did with him, saying that it prepped him for
this opportunity.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
But he's just a natural. He'll he'll be fine.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
All right. So what's your take right now?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
We talked a few weeks back before the start of
the season, but how about your take on this Spurs
team ten and eight right now to win five away
and back home the night against the Lakers. They're continuing
to grow and chose some things well.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
The important thing I think is the knowledge that veterans bring.
Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul have really made a lot
of difference, and they know how to win now in
the fourth quarter because Chris Paul's been doing it for
twenty years. Harrison Barnes, believe it or not, with the
NBA Player of the Week this week, the first time
he's gotten that award, the longest tenured player to ever
win that award for the first time thirteen years in
But are real good. He's just been a Spur his
(03:38):
whole career, even though he hasn't been on the Spurs.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
He says, that kind of guy.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
I've always loved Harrison Barnes, a great guy to go
interview and chat it up with, and I'm really happy
that he's part of the team and the experience that
those guys bring and the professionalism that they bring.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I think it can't be understated because these.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Young guys learn how to win, learn how to be
pros when they're around people like that.
Speaker 5 (03:59):
Bill, what have you mean of Webbinama's second season and
specifically how he's grown offensively.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Yeah, you know, he's really shooting the three a lot
more on it. Early he wasn't hitting them very often.
In fact that he's been twenty two percent for a
while and people are like, wait a minute, why is
he out there shooting threes? Well, it's all part of
his package. He wants to be a perimeter player as
well as an inside player. You know, we've never seen
a player quite like this. But now he's really getting
the rhythm. Now he's really hitting the threes on a
regular basis, and he's piling up the points.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
He had thirty four points last night.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
And I think the fact that he's a threat out there,
a guy like Walker Kessler, who's really more of an
inside defender, really not comfortable going out there and guarding
a seven foot four guy on the perimeter. So I
think that he does a lot of things that are
very different. And we're going to continue to see him
evolve as a player. Remember he is only early in
his second season. Last night he had his fourteenth thirty
(04:48):
point game, if you could imagine that. So he's doing
some things early in his career that he's really building upon.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
And I think he's really benefiting.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
From the presence of Chris Paul because CP three, as
I mentioned, how to win the games in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
That was a problem for the Spurs.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
They are very competitive over the last couple of years,
but they weren't closing out games in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
But when you have a presence like.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Chris Paul and also Harrison Barnes, it's much easier to
win because those guys have been there.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Four game winning streak, I think it's the longest since
twenty twenty twenty one for the Spurs. And during this
four game win streak, you beat in Oklahoma City Thunder
at home in which Wenby did not play, and then
to win over the Warriors to the top teams in
the Western Conference too, of the best teams in the
Western Conference. What have you made of this four game
win streak.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
I think the Warriors win showed that they've really improved defensively,
this Stephan Castle kid was all over Steph Curry in
that game.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
In fact, my Marque matchup.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Going to the game with Steph versus Steph, I'm thinking, well,
this is going to be a baptism by fire for Castle.
Steph Curry went five for sixteen that night.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Guys. Now that's not to say.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
That every time Steph Castle goes up Againsteph Curry, that's
going to be the result. But for the first time
to go up against him and really be in a
competitive situation, the Spurs held the Warriors to thirteen points
in the fourth quarter of that ball game, which was
a tight game, and they pulled away late. So I
think that they take this step forward. Defensively. They're now
in the top five both field goal percentage defensive points allowed.
They were in the bottom third of the league in
(06:09):
those categories last year, so they certainly have taken a
step forward. And a lot of this is without one
of their best defenders and Jeremy Sohan, who's been out
with a broken thumb.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
All right, you knew this question was going to come Bill.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
On her text line, somebody asked, please ask Bill how
he feels about the work so far in the development
of I'm going to attempt his name. Sandrew is at
Mamu Kellashavili.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Craig, you're so good at things, it's really easy. It's
a mamu Keli Shpeeley.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
He's a player from the Republic of Georgia. He played
a seat in Hall. He played all four years of
seat in the Hall. So he's kind of a season
Guy's twenty four to twenty five years old now. But
he's a very fun player to cover because he's like
a guy who never stops offensively here just all over
the place, moves very well without the ball, he shoots
the ball well. He's not a great defensive player, but
(06:57):
he's earning his minutes because of what he can do offensively.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
He's a real energy guy. I think Webby really.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Likes playing with him because he just opens up the
floor with Wenby because he takes up so much space
by moving around so much. But he's a ball of
energy and in spurs he really helps this team.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
What's your take on this Lakers team?
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I saw like Kevin Durant returned last night, had a
KD like game, and they you know, and they kind
of pushed in the in the second half and pulled
away from the Lakers. Now you got the Lakers coming
in tonight. They're such a curiosity other than Lebron in
looking at this team, aren't they.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
The thing that really concerns me if I'm a Lakers
fan is overall depth, you know, because Anthony Davis, as
great as he has, he's had some health problems. Lebron,
of course, just is NonStop and he's still playing well
over thirty minutes a game, and that concerns me, even
in his age, you know, and even though he's in
great shape, I just don't love to see a lot
of heavy minutes by guys at that age.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
So the lack of depth that they.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Go overall would concern me as far as the Lakers
chances to get to the finals.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
All right, So Bill showing the voice of the Spurs
have been with us, We talked some Spurs. I'm gonna
set that aside. Now you and I are going to
share some memories here because we did ten football and
nine basketball seasons together, and we did our share of
Thanksgiving and Black Friday games. Now, first of all, from
(08:15):
the Black Friday perspective, there's obviously the Ricky Williams game,
and we had Ricky on. Ricky actually came out to
Pluckers a couple of weeks ago. Yeah, yeah, he was
in town partially from this documentary and again for folks
if they go to the Longwer Network ap it premiered today,
this return of the Rivalry Rivalry Are Restored, I think
(08:39):
it's called, and they interviewed a lot of us. But
but Ricky's got some great stuff in there and talking
about that game, and there's great stuff with Mac Brown
talking about that game and Ricky was talking about.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So I know, we went into that game.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
It was kind of what in the honeymoon period for
Mac there that first season in ninety eight, and we
into that thinking, hey, he's got a chance sixty two
yards away right there. We just think he would get
it on the you know, most of it on that
one carry that got him over the top.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Well that was a really good Aggie defense too, right,
But yeah, win And I don't know, I guess maybe
that was the latter stage of the Wrecking Crew.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
I guess the rerecord cru is actually kind of earlier
than that.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
But that was a very good, very good A and
M defense that the Ricky ran through. But you know,
that was common that you remember the game at Nebraska, Craig,
Nebraska at home had not given up one hundred yards
to a single back since Barry Sanders, I believe an
Oklahoma State ten year earlier. So you know, Ricky had
those kinds of games against great defenses, and I think
one of the things that gets lost to and Ricky
(09:37):
was a great player. But those guys up front, that
offensive line, they were so much fun to cover. They
were so smart, you know, guys like Octavius Bishop and
Dan Neil, John Elmore, James Adams. That's a really good
offensive line.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Okay, so correct me if I'm misremembering
this year before ninety seve and it turns out to
be John mcovic's final game.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
We go over the night before.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
We were staying at the fashionable holiday Ramata inn uh,
the infamous one in ninety nine where the team stayed
where there was no breakfast for him and the wake
up calls went all night long.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
But that's another four season in college Station, Craig.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
No, no, no, no, that's true.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And weren't we eating like it a Bennigans with our
producer the late Bill Harwell and Greg Klingin's been We
had our broadcast crew with us, and yeah, Narlene mcavig
walked in with the other coaches wives, and I looked
over and I can't believe I actually let it come
out of my mouth, and I said, look.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
At that the last supper and and and it happened.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
But what I was going to say was the next
day we had the game, and we had the parabolic
mic down there, and uh and then and and going
over there. I believe John and Danny was on the
side when we might have had Lauren samplein back from
is overseas recruiting trips by then. And it walks out
(11:04):
there to midfield and they flipped the coin and the
Aggies win the toss, and whoever the y Aggie captain
was said, we'll defer. And if I remember correctly, clear
as day on our microphones, was James Barron going defer.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Is that the best you can do? I remember that correctly, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Yeah, I remember that. You know, it's so many things
you remember about the rivalry, And of course I remember
a lot about the bonfire. You know, it's hard to
believe that they just had with the twenty fifth anniversary
of it, right, Yeah, I remember. It's weird the things
you remember about certain things. But I remember several Aggie
fans coming up to me saying that they'd never feel
the same way about Texas because of the love and
(11:49):
the compassion that Mac Brown and the Longhorn showed to
the Aggies during that very dark period of time back
in ninety nine. So I'll always remember that. I also
remember too, And this is the weird the music part
of me. Doug Somealm from the Texas Tornadoes we I
thinks were one of the great Texas music heroes, died
right around.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
That same time, like maybe the next.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
Day, And because of all the attention being paid the
Aggie bonfire, I really kind of feel like Doug Salm's death.
He died of a heart attack in Santa Fe while
he was out on the road. It just kind of
gets swept under the rug, you know. So the music
part of me likes, oh man, it's a shame that
Doug Somem didn't get more love when he passed, with.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
No doubt about that, all right.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
So it helped me out on this one now because
on our text line that what I offered up to
cowboy fans or people just remember. And I said, let
me let me know your most vivid Dallas Cowboys memory.
And somebody said, my most vivid Cowboys Thanksgiving memory. And
(12:51):
that's what I'm talking about, your most vivid Cowboys Thanksgiving memory.
Nineteen ninety three in the snow, leon Lett, I remember
that game because of snow and Dallas Major ice, torm
and Austin. That Thanksgiving one of the coldest Thanksgivings I
ever experienced. That was from NCB.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Were we in college station.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
We were, and I, you know, the first five years
when I worked with you, I've commuted for all the
football and men's basketball games. I was still working at
KRLD in Dallas. So I drive down there and you know,
kind of the icy, slippery sliding around the traffic circle
in Mahea on the way down there. And and if
(13:27):
I remember correctly that this was a ballgame that was
fifteen to nine A and M in the fourth quarter.
A and M, whoever won, was going to go to
the Cop Bowl. The long words were five, four and
one going into the game, and the Aggies were like
nine and one or something, and A and M was
(13:48):
up fifteen to nine, and they were punting pretty late
in the game, and it wasn't Shane Leckler, but I
can't remember who the punter was. But he got the
he got it was a bad snap, but he picked
it up in plenty of time and then he just
kind of froze. He didn't do anything, and then he
got he got crushed by long run. He gave him
good field position and actually sat on the air and
I said, I don't understand it. You know, you called
(14:09):
the plane. I said, I don't understand it. I mean,
he had plenty of time and the only thing I
can come up with is he's an aggie or something
like that. And I gotta, I gotta. I got some
emails about that.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
But yeah, but we weren't doing the talk show at
the time, were we.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Uh No, No, I was still in doubts.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
That I was.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
And there are some aggies in Austin that were calling
me on my talk show and complaining about you.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I want you to know that I took some bullets
for you, Craig.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Oh, well, it's it's worked both ways. Say that.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
But and that was the game that went down into
the final minutes and Shaye Moren's on the rollout had
a guy open and thrown and got intercepted in the end.
So and the Baggies end up winning I think eighteen
to nine. They tacked on the field goal. Yeah yeah, exactly,
all right. And then the next year, ninety four was
and it was thirty years ago, John mcvick saying we
will not kick off to Leland McElroy. They kicked off
(15:04):
to Leland McElroy and he brought it back for a touchdown.
He's still going, yeah yeah, but but but.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
He's like, he's he'sn Caldwell. Now he's still running.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
That's tried. He's still run.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
And then then and then the one other one that
comes to minds the very next year was nineteen ninety five.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Now that was not Thanksgiving. It moved to him.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
It was that final game in Southwest Conference history, Texas
and Texas A and M and the long sixteen.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
To six very good.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
You remember that, you remember and and James Brown had
a badly sprained ankle and Ricky went for like one
sixty five in that game.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
We were talking movie staking Craig correct me, but was
that not the last game on the turf and they
were gonna put grass in?
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Or was it last game on the grass? They're gonna
put turf.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
No, no, no, you had it right the first time.
It was on the carpet, and and and so it
was over and they we're going to tear it up. Well,
log worn fans and cheerleaders run onto the field celebration
and the Aggie Corps got really upset with it. They
didn't draw swords like they did on the SMU Cheerleader
back in eighty, but they was like, so we could
see it from up top. There were some punching of
(16:08):
some guys and grabbing girls by the hair and it
was just crazy. And then security came in and tried
to break it up, and the core guys were still
doing that, and I think I referred to it as
paramilitarism run amuck.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
On that deal.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
But the point is, the point about all of this
is that this rivalry, which is being renewed on Saturday
night in college station, you got a chance to experience it,
even from the other side one season as an Aggie
baseball broadcaster, so you know how they feel about all this.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Oh absolutely, And there was a real break for me
to do Aggie baseball.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
I was doing Samuston State and I got a chance
to go over and do the Aggies and that's when
they had a great team in eighty nine with Chuck
Knoblock and John Byington and those guys. So I got
to see that and I actually applied for the AGGI
play by play job and didn't get it, and Craig
it was a blessing, it really was, because I ended
up in Austin a couple months later at KOBJ and
of course that started my time with Long Warns.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
And of course you came in.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
So you know, sometimes when you really wish for something
and it doesn't work out, it works out better. And
that's exactly what happened with me. No offense to any
of my A and M's friends or college station friends,
but you know it could have worked out better for
me as they ended up in Austin.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Yeah, you know, And I've learned lessons over the years
and have lots of friends over in the Brass Valley,
and so I've learned to appreciate their passion for the
rivalry and everything as well.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
So I in fact, Andrew Monico, Yeah, because you know
the radio guy now who's got that job at twenty eighteen,
used to work for the Spurs. We worked together for
a number of years and really a really good guy.
And I'm really happy he's in that position because he's
perfect for that job. He's a real loyal, passionate guy,
good play by play guy, and a perfect fit for them.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Yeah, I had him on the show on Monday, and
he's yesterday. He's out in Vegas, and so we had
a lot of fun talking about all that. Hey, it's
always good to visit with you. I'm glad you get
to have Thanksgiving and home with Jerry and Carl. And
best wishes also to Eric Out and salt Lake, and
I know we'll catch up again on down the road.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
I appreciate you taking it for you, Dave, you and Crag.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
I've been trying to get you and Linda to dinner,
but it's impossible with our schedules. It will happen. One day,
it'll happen.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
It will definitely happen. Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Appreciate you got it. That's Bill Schoning, this first play
by play voice. And until we did a lot of
games together, football and men's basketball. There are stories we
could tell, so many other stories, and then there's some
stories we can't tell. Probably good idea that we don't
it sound like a podcast is needed. Yes, Storytime, We've
(18:36):
talked about that at time or two. Maybe all Right
Up Next is inconceivable for Thanksgiving on sports Radio AM
thirteen Under the Zone.
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